Ole Miss football star QB Trinidad Chambliss is staring down an eligibility crisis with perhaps the costliest losing side.
The NCAA bluntly denied Chambliss' waiver for an additional year, which both he and his attorney were particularly confident about. The real problem here was the QB already committing to Ole Miss for the 2026 season.
A season that could potentially earn him about $5 million next season.
And that would be Chambliss being one of the highest-paid players in college football in 2026.
"Days before the waiver request was officially denied, Chambliss agreed to a revenue-sharing deal to return to Ole Miss if he does play another season of college football. It is unknown exactly how much Chambliss would make, but top quarterbacks in the transfer portal this cycle have been receiving deals in the $4 million-$5 million range," The Athletic's Ralph D. Russo explained.
"A person familiar with Chambliss’ deal told The Athletic the quarterback would be among the highest paid in college football next year. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no one was authorized to speak publicly about Chambliss’ agreement with Ole Miss," he continued.
Chambliss's future hanging in balance
The deal sounded like Chambliss hitting a jackpot just a few days earlier.
Then came the possibility of Chambliss being a Top-10 first-round pick with transfer QB Fernando Mendoza lifting both the National Championship and the Heisman Trophy.
After Mendoza's win, GMs will be salivating at the thought of a dual-threat transfer QB, one whose storyline will dominate their entire fandom.
And that is without even touching upon the sheer grit Chambliss has shown in winning this season with his next-level numbers.
If Chambliss loses his lawsuit, he could potentially be a Top-10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, a deal that generally is around $30-$55 million.
It would undoubtedly be a bigger financial win.
But if Chambliss's motive for the additional year of eligibility is lifting the National Championship Trophy before moving to the NFL, then any amount would never be enough.